One Stranger Things season 4 trailer hinted at Mike and Eleven’s imminent breakup, but this potentially devastating twist was already squandered by season 3 of the Netflix hit. Although the show has been consistently popular with viewers since its 2016 debut, Stranger Things has had its fair share of storytelling problems. Stranger Things season 3’s lighter tone and faster pace, in particular, saw the show lose focus and emotional impact, as proven by the pointless subplot centered around Mike and El’s brief breakup.
Stranger Things season 4 hopes to fix a lot of season 3 mistakes (as its episode titles prove), but this particular twist could cost the upcoming outing one of its most potentially affecting stories. While Stranger Things season 4 could break up Mike and El again, the effectiveness of this surprise will likely be blunted by the fact that the duo has been romantically separated before without much fanfare. Since season 3’s breakup was surprisingly lacking in dramatic impact, Stranger Things season 4 will struggle to make the prospect of El and Mike splitting up into the gut-wrenching reveal it could have been.
